_𝒕𝒉𝒓𝒊𝒇𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒃𝒖𝒅𝒅𝒚_

01

"mamma, do you think this sweater looks too fuzzy? like, does it look too grunge"

"what is gru-nge? you know i'm not a fashionista baba. you look handsome either way..." she said, walking over to a different rack away from her son. this store is big so it's easy to get lost.

"i'm starting to think you aren't the best candidate for fashion advice-"

"OW."

a girl, with a walkman in hand and earbuds in ears, has suddenly crashed into the ground next to dev.

"oh my god! i'm really sorry-" he said panicked, looking up to his now gone mom. she always leaves at the worst times, he thought to himself, shaking his head slightly.

"HELLO?!"

his head snapped to the direction of the sound where he was met with a more than mildly annoyed girl with her hand reaching out to him, asking to be helped up. he helped her up.

"you made me drop my stuff."

"yeah, i'm sorry about that...'' he said as he scrambled to pick up the clothes on the carpeted floor. it was a dreadful color. murky beige.

"your clothes are really cool" he examined the clothes. they were some old work shoes, a babydoll dress, and some patched pants that he thought resembled Kurt Cobain's iconic jeans.

"yeah. are you gonna give them back?"

"oh. yeah. sorry" he responded, handing the clothes back to her. that was, what, the third time he'd apologized in this conversation?

he stood there awkwardly for a couple seconds. then he was struck with an idea.

"do you wanna be my thrifting buddy??"

PERSPECTIVE CHANGE-- salem's pov

i stood there, looking at this dunce who had caused me to drop my walkman, all because he doesn't know how to walk properly.

"...what?"

"my thrifting buddy. my mom abandoned me and you look like you know what you're doing.." said the dunce, giving a stupid sheepish smile and looking at the ground.

it was almost funny how he expected me to help him. almost.

"fine."

"wait really?!"

WHAT? that response was involuntary. an accident. a misstep in my mouth. the words left a bad taste on my tongue.

"yeah. whatever."

why am i agreeing to do this? i can't go back now. after saying "yes" twice it would be super weird to then say no. i looked up at him. he was around 5'10-6'0-ish and wore a sweater a size or two too big. nerd. what's the worst that could happen? besides, wela is always saying i should be more friendly. whatever.

"come on. i don't have all day."

"great! thanks so much, i-" he rambled, almost tripping on his shoelace. what a klutz.

"my name is dev, by the way. i..i didn't catch your name"

"it's salem."

"that's a cool name!"

445 words

a/n

this chapter is sooper short but im excited for this story :D it's my first one and not fully serious so don't think much of it

+salem is not a hispanic name at all so it's a little inaccurate for her to have it but whatever!

xx noodle